Who Is Gay In the NFL?

We take a look at some of the NFL’s most rumors players who have been speculated to be gay.

Introduction

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, the highest professional level of American football in the world. The NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season.

The NFL has been home to many gay and bisexual players over the years, but it wasn’t until 2014 that an active player came out publicly. In July of that year, former NFL player Ryan O’Callaghan came out as gay in an interview with Outsports.com.

Since then, a handful of other players have come out either during their playing careers or after they retired. Here is a list of all the known gay and bisexual players in NFL history.

NFL Players Who Have Come Out as Gay

In recent years, there have been a few NFL players who have come out as gay. This is a huge deal because there are very few openly gay athletes in professional sports. It takes a lot of courage to come out, especially in a sport like football where masculinity is emphasized. Here are some of the NFL players who have come out as gay.

Michael Sam

Michael Sam was drafted by the Rams in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft, becoming the first openly gay player to be drafted in the league. He was released by the Rams during the final roster cuts before the start of the regular season and subsequently picked up by the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. After spending time on theCowboys’ active roster, he was again released and signed with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). In 2015, he became the first openly gay player to play in CFL regular season game.

Ryan O’Callaghan

O’Callaghan, an offensive tackle, was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a two-time All-Pac-10 selection. He also played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2009 to 2011. O’Callaghan came out as gay in 2017 and is now retired from football.

Kwame Harris

Kwame Harris is a former American football offensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stanford University.

Harris was born in New London, Connecticut, and raised in Plainsboro Township, New Jersey, where he attended West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North. He was a letterman in football, basketball, and track. In football, he was an All-American and All-State selection.

Harris came out as gay after he retired from the NFL in 2013. In an interview with Outsports, he said that he had been thinking about coming out for many years but that he was not ready to do so while he was still playing. Harris said that he hoped his decision would help others who might be struggling with their own sexual orientation.

NFL Players Who Are Rumored to Be Gay

There are currently no NFL players who have come out as gay while actively playing. However, there are a few players who have been rumored to be gay. These rumors have circulated for years and, in some cases, the players have even acknowledged them.

Anonymous Player

An anonymous gay NFL player has penned a powerful essay for Outsports, detailing his struggles with coming out and his eventual decision to remain in the closet.

The player, who remains anonymous for fear of reprisal from teammates, coaches, and the league itself, says that he has known he was gay since he was a child but didn’t fully come to terms with it until he was in college. He considered coming out during his rookie year in the NFL but ultimately decided against it, fearing that it would jeopardize his career.

The player says that he has been in a relationship with another man for several years, and while they are not out to their families or friends, they are “out” to each other and are committed to one another. He says that he has considered coming out publicly but is worried about the potential consequences, both professionally and personally.

The player ends the essay by saying that he is proud of who he is and wants to be an example for others who may be struggling with their own sexuality. He hopes that one day he can be open about his sexuality without fearing for his safety or livelihood.

Chris Culliver

NFL wide receiver Chris Culliver made headlines in 2013 when he made homophobic remarks during a radio interview, saying that gay players would not be welcome in the locker room. He later apologized, saying that he was “not discriminatory.”

Since then, there have been rumors that Culliver himself is gay. These rumors have never been confirmed, and Culliver has not commented publicly on his sexuality. However, the fact that he made such homophobic remarks despite potentially being gay himself has led many to speculate that he is either closeted or self-hating.

Dez Bryant

Dez Bryant is an NFL wide receiver who has played for the Dallas Cowboys since 2010. He is a three-time Pro Bowler and was named First Team All-Pro in 2014. He is one of the most popular players in the league, and his signature touchdown celebration – “Dez Caught It!” – has become iconic.

There have been rumors circulating for years that Dez Bryant is gay, but he has never publicly addressed them. Given that he has never been married or been seen with a girlfriend, the rumors continue to persist. If Dez Bryant were to come out as gay, he would be one of the first active NFL players to do so.

Conclusion

There are currently no out gay NFL players, but there are a handful of closeted gay players. There has never been an openly gay player in the NFL, but there have been several who have come out after retirement. Michael Sam became the first openly gay player to be drafted into the NFL when he was selected by the Rams in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft.